The Cost Of Creativity - The Case Against Creativity

In a previous post, I discussed how there may be an inherent link between creativity and mental illness. This link has probably been debated ad nauseum, and I won't be discussing that more right now. But there is another equally problematic aspect of creativity that needs to be addressed.

What I'm talking about here is the bias against creativity. It's a real phenomenon that has been studied at length. As an artist/creative (and now a UX/UI designer) myself I've run smack dab into this issue firsthand.

For one thing, art and by extension, creativity itself is something not really valued by our society. In our post-modern Western society. It's both ironic and paradoxical because we say we love creativity, that we need more creative thinking in the workplace-but we don't really seem to mean it. As far back as 1959, science fiction author Isaac Asimov once said that “The world, in general, disapproves of creativity,” but it begs the question why.

Sci-fi author Isaac Asimov: “The world in general disapproves of creativity,”

Throughout history, new creative ideas have often been received with criticism and derision- the reason being that new ideas are often met with fear of change. Galileo's new, innovative view of our solar system led him into trouble with the religious leaders of the time. And of course, many artists also bore the brunt of such views. William Blake, famous for his mysticism and unconventional art of the time was often derided and criticized. It was only after his death that his art was widely received, a victim of the dead artist trope.

William Blake, an unfortunate victim of the Dead Artist trope.

In looking at the research into biases against creativity, one thing, in particular, seems to stand out-the bias against creativity (and by extension, against creative people) seems to stem from one thing-difficulty dealing with uncertainty. As human beings, we seem to like, even have a deep-seated need for the familiar, the known. And new, creative ideas, generated by creative people who may view the world in a whole different way from us make us feel-uncomfortable. In order to get over our bias against creativity and creative people, we simply need to get more comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable. It's a simple idea, but it's not easy.

To begin with, the first step is to be aware that we have such a bias. Second, try to keep an open mind when with new, creative ideas and experiences. You just may wind up really enjoying it. Lastly, don't wait till your favorite artist is dead to show them support. It just might become too expensive for you by then.

Anyway, that's all I have now. Join me later for something completely new and different.